Two Thirds of Canadians Side with Evolution, Not Creationism

Only one-in-five respondents think God created human beings in their present form.

Vancouver, BC [November 28, 2018] – Most Canadians share the same point of view regarding the origin and development of human beings on earth, a new Research Co. poll has found.

In the online survey of a representative national sample, two thirds of Canadians (66%) say that human beings “definitely” or “probably” developed from less advanced forms of life over millions of years.

Conversely, one-in-five Canadians (21%) think that God “definitely” or “probably” created human beings in their present form within the last 10,000 years.

In Manitoba and Saskatchewan, 41% of residents believe in creationism—a significantly higher number than in all other provinces. Quebec has the smallest proportion of respondents who identify with creationism (10%).

“Age appears to play a role in shaping the perceptions of Canadians on the origin of life,” says Mario Canseco, President of Research Co. “While half of those aged 18-to-34 (50%) definitely concur with evolution, the proportion drops among those aged 35-to-54 (45%) and those aged 55 and over (26%).”

Canadians hold more nuanced views on whethercreationism—the belief that the universe and life originated from specific acts of divine creation—should be part of the school curriculum in their province.

Across the country, almost half of respondents (46%) believe creationism should not be taught in schools, while more than a third (38%) think it should be.

Canadians aged 18-to-34 are more likely to believe that creationism should not be part of the school curriculum in their province (54%) than those aged 35-to-54 (44%) and those aged 55 and over (42%).

In British Columbia, a majority of residents (55%) are opposed to teaching creationism in schools, followed by Quebec (49%), Manitoba and Saskatchewan (45%), Ontario (44%), Alberta (43%) and Atlantic Canada (41%).

Methodology:

Results are based on an online study conducted from August 27 to August 30, 2018, among 1,001 adults in Canada. The data has been statistically weighted according to Canadian census figures for age, gender and region. The margin of error—which measures sample variability—is +/- 3.1 percentage points, nineteen times out of twenty.